The closest thing to Formula 1 for the road
Just not Singapore roads. Boutique sports carmaker BAC says its Mono is road-legal in many countries, but not yet here
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BUY yourself an Aston Martin, Ferrari, McLaren or even a Mercedes and you’ll have a team to cheer for at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix. But you’ll be none the wiser about what it’s like to actually drive the cars that will be battling it out on the Marina Bay Circuit for victory on Sunday.
For that, you’ll have to turn to a boutique carmaker called BAC, or Briggs Automotive Company, and its lightweight rocket on wheels called the Mono. With the ability to hit 100 km/h in just 2-odd seconds, the Mono is more than a match for many of the most exotic supercars.
Family-run BAC appointed NB Auto (another family business) its Singapore dealer earlier this year, and on Wednesday (Sep 28) the two unveiled the Mono R, a more hardcore version of the car limited to just 40 pieces.
The Mono’s name alludes to the fact that it has only one seat, like a Formula 1 car. It’s also built for one purpose: to thrill like nothing else. “The layout of the car is actually inspired by motorsport, and the reason for that is because this car has a singularity of purpose,” Neill Briggs, BAC’s founding director, told The Business Times. “It’s only about the driving experience.”
Forget air-con, a windscreen or doors in this stripped down machine. With 3D-printed parts, exotic materials like graphene and Inconel (a light, strong and heat-resistant alloy) helping to keep it fighting fit, the Mono R weighs just 555 kg, about a third the weight of a medium family car.
The Mono R’s high-revving 2.5-litre engine makes 346 horsepower, roughly half what a Ferrari has at its disposal, but carrying almost no flab means it is capable of stomach-churning performance, taking 0 to 100 km/h in only 2.5 seconds.
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BAC builds only three Monos a month, and each is highly customisable. Prices start at around S$300,000 for a basic Mono without taxes and registration fees, but can quickly climb if a customer adds goodies such as carbon-ceramic brakes (which are tougher to withstand track use) or special paintwork. With carbon fibre wheels, a Merlion embroidered on its headrest and a custom paint job that cost S$70,000 by itself, NB Auto’s Mono R costs S$550,000.
At the moment the Mono R is not legal to drive in Singapore, although it can be driven in nearly all the 47 markets that BAC is active in. NB Auto director Douglas Ng says the car is aimed at collectors here, and is best used on the racing circuit, anyway.
The company has a bonded warehouse where cars can be stored duty-unpaid, which means Mono buyers won’t have to worry about finding a place to house their cars.
NB is working with dealers from other countries to put together events for BAC drivers to use the cars. “What we are trying to plan together among dealers is to have a driving holiday. You fly to the destination, have a track session followed by a lifestyle event where you have nice food, nice drinks,” he said. “There’ll be an experience. You’re not just buying a car anymore.”
For drivers who really want a taste of F1 thrills on the road, however, the BAC Mono is legal to drive in Malaysia. NB Auto happens to be the agent there, too.
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